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Saturday, April 29, 2017

Vikings Make Four Seventh Round Selections

Photo: Powercat Gameday

The Vikings selected four players in the seventh round to close out the NFL Draft. Daniel House discusses their fit on the team.

The Vikings used their first selection of the seventh round (#219) to select Miami wide receiver Stacy Coley. Minnesota held the next pick and drafted Northwestern defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo. Later in the seventh round, the team drafted Kansas State linebacker Elijah Lee with the 232nd selection. The Vikings closed out the draft by selecting NC State Jack Tocho with the 245th pick.

Here are some initial thoughts:

Stacy Coley
With Coley, the Vikings are getting a burner for a wide receiver. I heard his name was connected to the Vikings, so I watched his tape earlier in the week. He is a smooth player who gets great separation from cornerbacks. Coley's most impressive trait is his body control when he is surrounded in traffic. He tracks the ball and positions himself well to make the grab.

Coley is most impressive after the catch and will use his speed to blow past defenders in the second level. He needs work as a route runner, but is a threat when the ball is in his hands. The Vikings needed to add some playmakers on offense and Coley is a step in that direction. However, he and Rodney Adams will need additional coaching to become frequent contributors and more polished products.

Ifeadi Odenigbo

Northwestern defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo was the Vikings next selection in the seventh round. According to NFL.com, he "has the play strength to reduce inside as a rusher and fight through redirect blocks on the edge. Needs technique work, but has the strength to battle at the point of attack as run defender."

Based upon a quick look at the tape, he needs to work on his pass rushing moves, but he has the power to survive in the NFL. He is extremely raw and will be someone that defensive line coach Andre Patterson can coach into a serviceable defensive linemen. His production didn't take off until the last two years and it took him awhile to become a contributor. However, he notched five sacks and 19 tackles last season in his first extended amount of action.

Elijah Lee

In addition, the Vikings added Kansas State linebacker Elijah Lee with the 232nd pick. Lee was a name connected to the Vikings throughout the draft process, so I watched tape of him extensively. Lee was a 3-year letter winner and made the transition from high school defensive end to 2-time All-Big 12 linebacker. He also had five career interceptions, showing off his range and skills in coverage.

Lee had trouble when teams were physical against him and needs to shore up his tackling technique. He flashed on tape as a playmaker in their defense, but needs coaching to take the next step, especially at the NFL level. However, he has tons of potential as he is only 21 years old. This pick has the chance to be a late round gem in the future of his talent can be coached.

Jack Tocho

Finally, the Vikings closed out the seventh round by drafting NC State cornerback Jack Tocho. Tocho was listed as the 269th player on Arif Hasan's consensus big board. I have not watched tape on him, but have read about him.

"Compact frame with good play strength. Highly intelligent and will be able to digest an NFL playbook easily. Average athlete with below average lateral agility. Fears long speed and will bolster his cushion against certain opponents."

His intelligence and frame are two pieces of his profile that stand out as a solid fit in the Vikings' system.